Tuesday, April 2, 2024
11:00am | Julius S. Scott, Sr. Chapel
PRESIDENT & CEO HERMAN J. FELTON, JR., PH.D., J.D.
Please join President Felton and our Honors Convocation Keynote Speaker Dr. Samaad Wes Keys for a special reception in the Ballroom at 3:00 pm today. We look forward to celebrating you and your family and friends
Students who have demonstrated exceptional academic performance are honored each spring semester. They are students who earned the following averages while carrying at least 12 hours: President’s List (GPA 3.80 to 4.00), Dean’s List (GPA 3.50 to 3.79), and Faculty’s List (GPA 3.30 to 3.49).
Wiley University, located in Marshall, Texas, is one of the first Historically Black Colleges and Universities established in the Lone Star State In 1873, less than eight years after all hostilities were quieted from the Civil War, the Freedman’s Aid Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church founded Wiley University near Marshall, Texas - for the purpose of allowing Negro youth the opportunity to pursue higher learning in the arts, sciences, and other professions. The institution was named after Bishop Isaac Wiley of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
Campus Mission:
Wiley University is a premier liberal arts institution, affiliated with the United Methodist Church, with an intentional focus on social good and leadership.
Vision Statement:
Wiley University is a nationally recognized liberal arts university serving as a beacon of light inspiring individuals to serve as catalysts of social change in their community and professions.
Dr Samaad Wes Keys is a luminary in higher education, widely recognized for his transformative work promoting equity and inclusivity. As a Senior Program Officer at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Dr. Keys plays a pivotal role in shaping the scaling of transformative practices and policies that will improve outcomes for Black, Latino, and Indigenous students and students from low-income backgrounds.
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Holding a Ph.D. in Higher Education with a focus on administration and public policy from the University of Georgia, Dr. Keys has dedicated his career to fostering institutional change. His expertise spans a broad spectrum of higher education areas, including curriculum development, faculty diversification, policy reform, and the enhancement of student success strategies. He is particularly noted for his work in devising and implementing innovative programs that address systemic barriers faced by underrepresented groups in academia
Dr. Keys' approach to equity in education is multifaceted, involving strategic planning, community engagement, and implementing evidence-based practices. His efforts at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation have significantly influenced how educational institutions approach diversity and inclusion, leading to impactful changes across numerous universities and educational bodies
In addition to his role at the Foundation, Dr. Keys is a respected researcher and practitioner. His publications have helped to address the historical underfunding of Historically Black Colleges and Universities and have also lent itself to highlighting the challenges impeding student success for Black, Latino, and Indigenous students and students from low-income backgrounds. These works are celebrated for their contribution to academic discourse and policy-making.
Dr. Keys’ commitment to transforming the higher education landscape into a more inclusive and just environment is evident in his professional achievements and his mentorship and guidance to the next generation of educators and administrators. His work with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and beyond continues to inspire and drive systemic change in education in the United States and worldwide.
Processional
Call to Order and Occasion
Dr. JoAnn Scales
Vice President for Academic Affairs and Strategic Retention
Invocation
Rev Dr Cecil Duffie
Dean of Chapel
Heritage Anthem (Please Stand)
The A Cappella Choir of Wiley University
Opening Remarks and Welcome
Dr. Herman J. Felton Jr.
17th President and CEO of Wiley University
Acknowledgment of Student Leadership Recognition
Dr Keyona White
Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice
Executive Director | Heman Sweatt Center for Social Good and Leadership
Wiley University Honors Convocation Charge
Ms. Gaelle Amazon
AVP for Strategic Retention
Musical Selection
The A Cappella Choir of Wiley University
“Little Lamb”
Mr. Bruce Thompson, Director of Choral Music
arr Bartholomew/Thompson
Ms Lydia Garcia, Accompanist
Introduction of the Speaker
Ms Jadyn McDonald
Heman Sweatt Scholar
Musical Selection
The A Cappella Choir of Wiley University
“Jesus, What a Mighty Name”
By Kim Noblitt and Robert Elkin
Mr. Bruce Thompson, Director of Choral Music
Walkterrius Nelson, Soloist
Ms. Lydia Garcia, Accompanist
Honors Convocation Address
Dr Samaad Wes Keys
Senior Program Officer
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Presentation
Dr Herman J Felton Jr
17th President and CEO of Wiley University
Student Scholar Recognition
Dr. Parris Carter
Dean of Graduate Studies
Special Awards
Ambassador of Tomorrow Award
Academic Persistence Award
Dr Parris Carter
Dean of Graduate Studies
Excellence in Athletics Award
Athletic Director Rafael Gonzalez
Closing Remarks
Dr Herman J Felton Jr
17th President and CEO of Wiley University
Alma Mater (Please Stand)
The A Cappella Choir of Wiley University
Benediction
Rev. Dr. Cecil Duffie
Dean of Chapel
Recessional
GPA: 3.30 to 3.49
GPA: 3.50 to 3.79
GPA: 3.80 to 4.00
"Lift Every Voice and Sing"
Lift Every Voice And Sing, till earth and Heaven ring, Ring with the harmonies of liberty;
Let our rejoicing rise, high as the listening skies, Let it resound loud as the rolling sea.
Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us, Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us;
Facing the rising sun of our new day begun, Let us march on till victory is won.
Stony the road we trod, bitter the chastening rod,
Felt in the days when hope unborn had died; Yet with a steady beat, have not our weary feet,
Come to the place for which our fathers sighed?
We have come over a way that with tears has been watered, We have come, treading our path through the blood of the slaughtered;
Out from the gloomy past, till now we stand at last Where the white gleam of our bright star is cast.
God of our weary years, God of our silent tears, Thou Who hast brought us thus far on the way;
Thou Who hast by Thy might, led us into the light, Keep us forever in the path, we pray.
Lest our feet stray from the places, our God, where we met Thee
Lest our hearts, drunk with the wine of the world, we forget Thee.
Shadowed beneath Thy hand, may we forever stand, True to our God, true to our native land.
Oh Wiley dear, ever we’ll sing thy praise;
With love and rapture our voices we’ll raise.
Our hearts are all swelling with joy sublime; We’ll cherish thee till the end of time. We’ll cherish thee till the end of time.
Oh Lord, we pray, may our dear Wiley stand; A beacon light shining o’er our dear land.
And may her sons, with steadfast purpose true;
Go Forth Inspired glorious deeds to do.
Go Forth Inspired glorious deeds to do.
Written By: William Henry Smith
